The Bruner Family Journey: Glorious Urfa

Ah, glorious Urfa! That's not my moniker, that's the city's official name. For centuries, it was known just as Urfa. But in 1973, unleashing a trend that would forever alter the course of Turkish geography, nearby Antep changed its official name to “Heroic Antep” - or "Gaziantep." Not to be outdone, in 1984 Urfa changed its name to “Glorious Urfa” - or "Sanliurfa." Whatever it wants to call itself, it's a gem of southeastern Turkey - a beautiful city of hills, parks, gardens, pools and mosques, with a friendly populace, and some of the best food we've experienced anywhere during our travels thus far.

We stayed in the heart of the old city, in a charming, comfy 5-room guesthouse in a traditional 400-year old Kurdish home. The food at the guesthouse was a Bruner Family Journey highlight: peppery vegetable soup, baked eggplant stuffed with lamb, chicken kabobs, spicy Turkish ground meat pizza, buttery bulghur (who knew bulghur was so good?), fresh bread from the bakery next door, fantastic olives, amazing pastries - wow! The friendly owner of the guesthouse, Ozcan Aslan, is also a great source of local knowledge and a fantastic tour guide.

As for sightseeing, there's a surprising amount of things to see and do in Urfa. There's the historic and scenic Golbasi area, where pools, gardens, and mosques commemorate the biblical story of Abraham and Nimrod. Legend has it that Abraham was hanging out in Urfa, destroying pagan gods, when Nimrod, the Assyrian King, become upset at this behavior and decided to immolate him. In response to Abraham's prayers, the fire was turned into water and the burning coals were turned into fish. Phew! Today, a natural spring feeds two pools filled with sacred carp, surrounded by mosques and set in a large verdant park. For the kids, the highlight was buying some fish food and feeding the plump carp, whose main activity seems to be fighting with each other for the little yummy bits provided by a steady stream of pilgrims and tourists.

On a rocky hill overlooking the Golbasi area is a sprawling citadel, graced by two enormous columns. It's unclear (to me at least) precisely who built it and when, but the important thing is that it's a fun climb up and the views from the top are spectacular. There are actually many fine vistas to be had in Urfa, as it's a hilly city with pretty buildings and plenty of greenery.

Speaking of pretty buildings, there's a host of traditional mansions, many of which have been restored as hotels, restaurants, art galleries, and even a cultural center. The city also boasts a number of historic mosques, including one that was initially built as an Armenian church. And the winding, narrow streets of the old city are packed with photogenic little homes and doorways. A friendly old man was so proud of his abode that he called us all in from the street to show us every room, including the laundry room (he had a nice washer and dryer) and the view from the roof. There's also a very lively market area, with a lovely arcaded courtyard that dates back to the 16th century. The only disappointment of our time in Urfa was that the Urfa Museum was closed for renovation, so I guess we'll have to wait for our next visit to see it.

Visiting Urfa was a unique experience. There were no Westerners in town (and few tourists of any kind for that matter, although we did encounter one group of Iranian pilgrims in all-black burkas), there were friendly faces everywhere, it's a beautiful place, and it gave us a real taste of Kurdish life and culture. It's an exotic destination, but touring the city is so easy, pleasant and hassle-free that it feels like a place that's closer to home. Everyone in our family enjoyed it thoroughly, and although I certainly wouldn't have ventured to say this before we went, I really think we'll be back one day.